Thursday, May 15, 2014

I'm still here, although I am a little tardy in my post this month. My journey is still not over and I continue to work out at the gym. Still 5 days a week and still kind of having a little bit of fun. Things change. In my last post I wrote that I had lost a wee bit of weight, well I had...and now I have hit a 'plateau' and I'm getting a little frustrated with this. We all go through it. We do well, and then when we hit the pause button we either stop doing what we're doing or we go head-first through the wall. Well, I'm going head-first. I haven't broken through, YET!!!

Much has been said and written about this exercise and weight loss programs and the challenges that they present. It takes commitment. I guess you have to be a little mentally prepared and have a plan to be successful. Reading what I just wrote, I realize that applies to everything in my life. I have been known to those around me that I am persistent at completing tasks. It shows when I'm at the gym.

When I first started my goals were different than they are now, but my priority was to lose weight. Well, I've accomplished some of that but I have quite a ways to go. I also have been told that I am very hard on myself. If not me, then who will be? I'm not hard on myself I am just a wee bit stubborn and have this desire to do better. I give myself a month to achieve a certain goal, and if it is not met...well, a little devil on my shoulder starts to laugh and frustration comes out. BUT I DO NOT QUIT.

Sometimes I establish a new goal - lift a little more weight, last a little longer on the elliptical, increase speed and resistance on the elliptical, play some basketball (against myself) -- all of these are changes that I make on my own.

I still do a regimented routine at the gym that I do not like. I do it because it has provided the results that I want. BUT, at the same time, I try to do exercises that I really enjoy and it helps keep the daily habit of going to the gym. Also, having a Personal Trainer who keeps coming up with surprises is helpful. There are also many friends and supporters that I have that get me through those days where I truly would rather just throw my hands in the air and ask myself - "why am I doing this if it's not working". These are the people that get me off the chair and into the gym to begin my day. Yes, I may appear to be strong (and I have also been told that I appear to be a little bull headed) but I do need encouragement and motivation. I do not need pity or over-embellishment on my progress.

More and more I have increased my natural movement - moving my body without the constraints of machines. Machines 'could' limit our performance potential. I find that I get more out of a workout using free weights - bending, twisting, reaching, pulling and pressing - and trying to keep my balance in check by staying upright. I have fallen. But, with my Trainer spotting me, he at the very least catches the weights so I don't get hurt.

Do you remember your gym teacher telling you: "No Pain; No Gain" or "Go Hard or Go Home". I have learned that this type of mentality increases physical strain and potential injury. My Personal Trainer keeps a record of what I do at every single workout. He makes sure that I do better today than I did the last week on that same routine. He has taught me proper technique to prevent injury. By the end of every workout with him, he is judging to see that I am moving better than at the beginning.

Am I more energized? Yes. Do I have a ways to go? A resounding YES!!!! My energy levels have definitely increased. My stubborn streak has not decreased (ask Alwin Mascoll my Personal Trainer). The additional and new exercises that he has surprised me with has frustrated me to some extent, but then I get over it.

If you see me at Life Time Athletics in Mississauga, feel free to say 'hello'. If I'm working out, then you will get a nod and perhaps a smile. You will have to wait to chat after I'm done.

I continue to wish all of you luck with your voyage. It's certainly not as easy as everyone thinks it is. But if I can persevere, so can you. Don't give up! I haven't!

This is just for something different - I am not 'just' a Realtor. I am a much happier Realtor.

Until next month at which time it will be a year with my Personal Trainer. Let's see what those results will be after a year.

About Me

About the Author

Betty Bart is one of a very few award winning Mississauga Real Estate Agents who instills in her clients the confidence to make the right purchase or sale decision. She achieves this by being hands on during the entire purchase process and demonstrating a superior knowledge of Toronto real estate matters and by educating her buyers and sellers in Mississauga.

If you have a family member, or friends, considering a purchase, you would want them looked after by an experienced and ethical REALTOR, Give Betty a call 416 427 1875